No-observed-adverse-effect level
The
no-observed-adverse-effect level (
NOAEL) denotes the level of exposure of an
organism, found by
experiment or
observation, at which there is no biologically or statistically
significant increase in the frequency or severity of any adverse effects of the tested protocol. In drug development, the NOAEL of a new drug is assessed in laboratory animals, such as
mice, prior to initiation of human trials in order to establish a safe clinical starting dose in humans. The
OECD publishes guidelines for
Preclinical Safety Assessments, in order to help scientists discover the NOAEL.
Provided by Wikipedia